Footballer Diogo Jota has died at the age of 28.
The Portuguese sportsman – best known for his work with Liverpool FC for the last five years – died in a car accident near Zamora in Western Spain alongside his brother, fellow professional footballer André Silva, as was first reported by the Spanish news agency EFE.
Spain’sGuardia Civil confirmed to the Associated Press that the brothers died shortly after midnight on Thursday morning.
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No other vehicles are thought to have been involved in the accident.
Following his stints at Paços de Ferreira in his home country of Portugal and Spain’sAtlético Madrid, Diogo first made the move to the UK when he joined the Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017.
After three years there, he became part of Liverpool FC in 2020, and has been a key member of the team ever since, most notably when they recently won the Premier League.
Diogo Jota had played for Liverpool since 2020
Diogo Jota had played for Liverpool since 2020
Ian Stephen/Action Plus/Shutterstock
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He also played for Portugal’s national team, while his brother André was part of thePortuguese club Penafiel.
Just last month, Diogo married his long-term partnerRute Cardoso, with whom he has three children. The couple had been together since 2012.
His final social media post featured photos from his and Rute’s wedding day, alongside a message which translates to English as: “Yes to forever.”
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Diogo’s legal name was Diogo José Teixeira da Silva, but he preferred to play under the name “Jota” – the Portuguese word for the letter “J” – to distinguish himself from other similarly-named players.
As well as his football career, the striker was an avid gamer, and regularly streamed on the live-streaming service Twitch.